Just like a star
by fitz88
Summary: Short random fic. Wrote it with Corinne Bailey Rae's Song in mind. Songfic? I have no idea. ShikaTem if you squint hard enough.


**AN – yeahhhh… been raining a lot here lately… and rain makes me remember a lot of things… strawberry coffee, bossa music, cigarettes, and her cheese sticks. Ah well… wrote this while reminiscing… did I pull this fic off? Or was the fic awkward? This is my first attempt at a songfic.. and I don't really think I did it right…I might give trouble sleeping a try if inspiration hits me… Song is by Corinne Bailey Rae btw, a very amazing artist. **

**-and ill try to update on misdirection hopefully this weekend… got stuck on ino…**

They were fighting. Her screams against his silence. They were working on the post-exam paperwork, and they both had a lot to catch up on. He had been asking for a break, telling her he needed a smoke. It had irked her instantly, because she had not been taking any breaks, and he had been taking a few too many.

She was supposed to be in Suna by now. She should be at home, resting and preparing for the next exciting mission. She had been away from home for too long, and she missed her village terribly.

She was NOT supposed to be in his office, yelling at him, working her and some of his share of the paperwork. It was NOT supposed to be raining outside, barring any form of escape. And he was NOT supposed to be ignoring her, attention focused on his cigarette, his eyes glazed with nicotine high.

He had convinced her to relax, to enjoy Konoha while she can; he had convinced her that he had everything taken care of. He led her to believe that he had done the paperwork, that there wasn't much left to do. Much to her surprise, though it shouldn't be, he had merely been procrastinating, leaving work to enjoy the clouds, to play shogi with her, to take her to dinner, to distract her from his and her responsibilities.

She stopped mid-rant when she felt her throat begin to dry up. She was tired, pissed, annoyed, and generally depressed. She shouldn't really be angry at him, blaming him for all her troubles. At the back of her mind she knew she had enjoyed every moment they had spent together, not working.

She let out a defeated sigh and ambled over the coffee pot. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, and another for Shikamaru, though the action was more reflexive than thoughtful.

She scanned the room for any distraction, hoping to find something of interest to dampen her irritation.

Her gaze fell on a stack of CDs and an old CD-player, hooked up to two speakers. She wasn't aware Shikamaru was into music, the topic never came up on their conversations. The set-up had piqued her curiosity; she wanted to know what kind of music he was interested in.

She went over to check the CDs. Most of them were unlabeled, some were cracked, and some of the cases were empty. She saw one CD that made her look twice though, it was the first one in the stack, it had quite a few scratches on it, a testament of frequent use, the artist's name had caught her attention, Corinne Bailey Rae, it was odd, long, and decidedly female.

She plugged the player in, and inserted the CD. At the corner of her eyes she saw Shikamaru tilt his head in inquiry. She decided to ignore him, still peeved.

She stood for a moment, waiting for the music to play. When it did, she was mildly surprised, she had expected something more up-beat, something fast paced, not this.

_Just like a star across my sky,  
>Just like an angel off the page,<br>You have appeared to my life,  
>Feel like I'll never be the same,<br>Just like a song in my heart,  
>Just like oil on my hands,<br>Oh.. I do love you,_

The song was a bossa number, very easy and pleasant to the ears. The singer's voice had such beautiful quality that it simply melts in your mind; the song's lyrics were romantic and it made her

She fell into a trance, her mind wandering, the smell of rain, paper, coffee and tobacco, mixing together, intoxicating her. The music blended well with the atmosphere, and she found herself humming along.

_Still i wonder why it is,  
>I don't argue like this,<br>With anyone but you,  
>We do it all the time,<br>Blowing out my mind,_

Shikamaru cleared his throat.

She gave him a glance, eyebrow raised. He was looking at her, smoke twirling in front of him, a gentle smile on his lips, and a contemplative look on his face.

She let out another sigh, and walked slowly to his side, carrying his and her cups of coffee. She huffed and slammed his cup in front of him, spilling it a bit. He didn't seem to care.

_You've got this look i can't describe,  
>You make me feel like I'm alive,<br>When everything else is a fade,  
>Without a doubt you're on my side,<br>Heaven has been away too long,  
>Can't find the words to write this song,<br>Oh.,..  
>Your love,<em>

"Never knew you liked this kind of music," she commented, taking a sip of her coffee.

"It's relaxing. Helps me sleep," he answered.

Figures, she thought to herself.

_Still i wonder why it is,  
>I don't argue like this,<br>With anyone but you,  
>We do it all the time,<br>Blowing out my mind,_

"I like this song." She said, her mood lifting.

"Hmmm… it kind of reminds me of you, actually…" he whispered, his voice soft, barely audible, and laced with something she couldn't recognize.

_I have come to understand,  
>The way it is,<br>It's not a secret anymore,  
>'cause we've been through that before,<br>From tonight I know that you're the only one,  
>I've been confused and in the dark,<br>Now I understand,_

She paused, unsure of what to say, and despite herself, blushed. She immediately took a sip of her coffee, hoping he didn't notice. She looked at him nervously, checking for a reaction.

He was wearing that look he had whenever his mind was someplace else, his eyes were unfocused, and his mouth slightly open. His head was obviously in the clouds. He had evidently let his mind wander again, and had given his opinion without much thought.

_I wonder why it is,  
>I don't argue like this,<br>With anyone but you,  
>I wonder why it is,<br>I wont let my guard down,  
>For anyone but you<br>We do it all the time,  
>Blowing out my mind,<em>

She sat down, relieved. The thought of something like the song existing between the two of them scared and unhinged her. She wasn't ready for it. It was too… troublesome.

She picked up her pen and continued with her work. Her ire forgotten, a wistful smile on her lips.

_Just like a star across my sky,  
>Just like an angel off the page,<br>You have appeared to my life,  
>Feel like I'll never be the same,<br>Just like a song in my heart,  
>Just like oil on my hands<em>


End file.
